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老猫飘过纽约市曼哈顿区几个月内所见的浮光掠影

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛1. Before I go.

It was in the year of 2004. I had been working at the same company for four years. My position had been the same ever since I joint. The business unit had grown in size and revenue year over year. The team had grown. All team members were two or three band levels higher than mine while I was asked to lead. There was no chance for promotion because all money had been spent hiring senior resources. It was good that no matter what I did, it was always beyond expectation. It was bad that I felt unfair and no leverage.

One of my close friends recently moved to NYC, working as a senior member of the technical design team at a finance institute. He asked me if I was interested to join his team. Naturally, I said “Yes”. Who in the right mind would say no to almost double the salary and had a senior title. After two phone interviews and spent a whole day onsite with technical leads, managers, AVP, SVP etc etc… I got the offer. I still remember during the last interview with the SVP, he asked for my current band level. I told him that I was a 6. He smiled saying that he was a D before he quit, and congratulated me making the right decision. There was a D in the rank? He seemed too young for that. LOL.

The next Monday morning, I sent in my resignation email to my manager. By the time I arrived in the office, ironically, my manager congratulated me whole heartedly. He knew better and did not make any effort to keep me stay. The director came to me one hour later. He tried a bit harder, asking on what condition I could change my mind. I told him that I simply can’t because I had already made a commitment to another company and I had a friend there that I could not turn down. During my exit interview with the VP, he told me that he quit the company when he was a 6. After six months, he was rehired. He gave me his business card saying: “You may want to come back someday.” At that time, I just did not realize how soon that would be. I agreed to make sure of a smooth transition and travel to a few cities during the last week to lead a roadshow.I could not imagine how busy I actually was during that last two weeks.

At the same time, I was applying SSN, opening a US banking account, requiring a lawyer letter for the TN, getting the TN. All was a mess. After all was done, I still needed to find a place and there was less than one week left. I went on different web sites but could not settle down any place – either too expensive, or too far. Cheap place in Manhattan simply does not exist. I finally thought about a high school friend. That girl once called my father daddy by mistake. She was studying at Columbia. I tried my luck asking for her help. Soon enough, I got a shared student apartment on W112 street, on top of the Central Park, where the Seinfield was shot. Lucky me!更多精彩文章及讨论,请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
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  • 工作学习 / 事业与工作 / 老猫飘过纽约市曼哈顿区几个月内所见的浮光掠影
    • 刚要抢sofa,一看全是英文,傻了眼。
      谢谢分享,收藏先。
      • 能不能说说为什么一去吓一跳吗? -nocturne(夜游神); 10.3 14:23 (#6304279@0) reply more postAdm
        Actually this article was a response to your request.. LOL
        • haha, i know, i know.
          thanks.
    • 谢谢分享, 顶一下。
    • That girl once called my father daddy by mistake.Good One!
      • that was reason I came to NYC. HAHAHA.
        • This is totally totally misleading.
        • ...then what would be the reason why he had to leave soon after? Let's me guess -- his wife came to the play. Stay tuned... and see if my prediction is true. :-)
    • See how timing/context matters -- let's review "没有追求才能快乐 -mikesmith(老猫); 9.30 19:21 (1106 bytes. #6300862@0) " :-)
      • common sense, man, common sense.
        • 没有追求才能快乐 -- 失恋的人都这么说 ;-)
    • I almost foresee a LM story under 事业与工作umbrella, another Peking guy in NYC? 。。。
      • LOL.. No way! Just to be fair, whatever I put down here was NOT a story, but a true experience.. There was no romance whatsoever.. I've had only one love in my whole life. Poeple will be disappointed if they want to hear a love story.
        • Sorry for my romantic expectation, a successful guy meets a high school girl mate in NYC, sounds like typical Hollywood LM story, It's pity nothing happened。。。LOL
          • disappointed too ....
          • From high school, we had a few close friends.. 5 girls 3 boys. We could spend a whole summer in one person's house. We were like buddy buddies..
            • Fortunately, the story just starts, to be honest, (not me but you), expend your story in right direction please。。。
    • 支持老猫一个. Rolia 上最近越来越三俗了.
      • 献俗,媚俗,摇相呼应吗.
    • 老猫在纽约 (二)
      • very enjoyable story :)
      • 这小猫真是牛啊!
      • Gold always shines. If you don't like your manager or working environment, you won't stay.
      • I was working as an consultant in the same building at 7th street accross LH building in 2006. My Director and managers then were let-go during financial crisis.
        • Was it not 745 Seventh Avenue?
      • Took you 15 seconds to locate the problem?! Holy smoke...You really knew where to look at and memorized the network really well.
        • And he was on the job only few weeks...
        • Some times a simple ping and trace route will give you enough hints and you can just shout at it to the conference call.. The drafting of the WAN diagram and the IP scheme allocation did help though.. I was familiar with the network.
      • "I was so used to doing my own things and nobody came and bothering me",your grammar is quite pathetic.
      • "I was so used to turn on TV and join a conference call from my couch", pathetic again. I feel sorry for your arrogant instinct clumsily disguised by not so humble manner.
    • 看后感言: 俺更想去美国了, 呵呵
      • Pack up and go.
        • Not now, hoho
          • America needs Salvation Army.
            • I don't care to be the one of Salvation Army, hoho
              • there is still someone has a clear mind.
    • 老猫在纽约 (三)
      • continue ,pls
      • Well written. The style sounds like Sex and The City.
      • Just curious, how old was your child when you were in NYC? and did your wife support you moving to there for work?
      • I got to know NYC from the movie "Enchanted", and later went to Central Park to feel the scenes in the movie. It's a nice park!
      • 老猫啊,都是灰狗的错。俺坐过一次,再也没坐过。周五晚出发,周六早上几点才到家,昏昏一觉,整个周六就废掉了。周日下午又要赶着回去。一个周末都废了。
        • Was it not the decision maker’s fault?
        • I know. It was so tiring the Monday after the trip. I could not even change my clothes and had to go directly to office. Too bad I could not afford the bi weekly flight.
          • I would drive if I were u. Regardless, this is a very good post.
      • It looks like you did not get to know NYC life,then gave it up. In fact, there were a lot of houses with big lots (30miles away from city,i.e harrison,Mamaroneck ) with the price of 700-900K,which are as little higher as Toronto today.
        I know a lot of wall street people like traders who live there and take train onto work everyday. the only drawback is that not many chinese live in the communities,which make most of Canadian-Chinese feel uncomfortable.
      • 老猫你那么牛的, 美国好地方多的是,为啥不找找GOOGLE, AMAZON,之类的,别人又不是不办绿卡. 对美国的IT 老中来说NY基本就是能不去就不去的地方,除非去华街掏金
        • 牛不牛不清楚,看LZ当年去美有点饥不择食的感觉,不管怎么说要谢谢LZ分享,以为他是在美国混不下去回来的,现在看来是根本没开始混就 gave it up.
        • Come on! I think he's try his best down to earth. In fact, He did well for his story with both feet on the ground, he is the guy with a good understanding of his reality.
      • 牛人也灰来灰去?
        • 口齿不清。人家改飞来飞去啦
      • 支持老猫。一个人码这么多字分享自己的经历很不容易。忘大家善待这样的帖子。
      • BS! try to live in downtown, Toronto
    • “That girl once called my father daddy by mistake” 展开展开? LOL
      • can't
        • HA HA… Glad to see Mike is learning to say NO.
    • It was in the year of 2004. I had been working at the same company for four years. All team members were two or three band levels higher than mine while I was asked to lead.
      explain how did you get promoted from B6 to B9 in 2 years? lier
      • TOTALLY
        • 酸葡萄心理,很正常.
      • 说人家是骗子还要用英文,首先要检查拼写。应该这样:liar.
    • 没看出来你是这么一个爱家爱老婆爱孩子的人。这些话,这些事,讲给你老婆听过吗?还是她也在看文?
      • I hope she would. Usually, she does not like reading my posts at all..I know why. Probably I did a bit too much 哗众取宠之事 and makes her ashamed. LOL.
        • Just curious. :-) Did you tell her your feelings towards home and her, and what you experienced in NYC in those days?
          • No, I did not tell her all the details.. Otherwise she would be wondering why I suddenly became so 酸 - I must have done something really really bad outside.. LOL.
            • If you tell her the story, she will only love you more. :-)
    • 老猫在纽约 (完)
      • 恭后下篇 -人在湾区
      • Your boss wasn't so nice before all this. He underpaid you and didn't give you fair promotion.
        • in a big company, it was not totally up to one manager.
          • True. But still, for an exceptional employee, a manager would go out of the way to make it happen. Anyway, all is well now :)
      • always follow your heart. maybe that's why you have a happy life.
      • keep writing with your Toronto's job.
      • SOB; IBM first line manager from Harvard, could you wake up from your daydreaming?
        • What do Harvard grads do then
        • Even in Boston, it's very hard to find a Harvard or MIT graduate in an industrial company listed in fortune 30 company.
          • What school Harvard, or MIT, is? (#6309755@0)
            • You really don't know? or U look down them? If u reached your academic achievement by self-study, you could certainly look down them.
              I only heard a ts graduate says he won't take in them even he has a chance because no one is smarter than ts student there.You are next one!
              • HA HA, what I am saying is there are tons of MIT, Harvard grads that are just like everyone else doing whatever wherever they make a living. Schools, research institutions, labs etc. are not the only places for them.
      • 谁有复婚的经验?我的想象是好不到哪儿去,生活没意思了。这样的一来一回不仅是一种不负责任,更反映了老猫同志对美国的不了解,或者了解了也无意欣赏:典型的多伦多人。技术上这么牛,美国会给你更为丰富和刺激的人生体验,你的房子和车子一定比你多伦多的好很多,
        就为了开头几天的家庭分居和学生宿舍的狭小或者过去老板的热言而放弃一个美妙的将来,估计是一个多伦多人的自然逻辑。不认同,但谢谢分享。
        • "丰富和刺激的人生体验... 房子和车子".. I realized those were not what I wanted.
          • 工资翻倍,职务升senior,是你去纽约的原因。要“丰富/房子。。。”是精神健康的表征,不要,那叫有病。就算多伦多再阳痿,不至于那么“和尚”吧。
            • if u read my post, you would have known when i changed.
              • your post already mentioned why you went NY,because you were not happy there were not a promotion oppotunity for you.While u also well hinted you would like a sr. position if you were back to Toronto.
                It does mean you do care about position/ salary beside your family reason. also you can not afford a house in NYC because you did not well investigate the house price there.
                • 唉,做人难,做名人更难,做网络名人难上加难。
                  Don't give Mike a hard time, OK?
                  • I will probably write a prequel about my experience with the city before 2004.
                    • Sorry Catty, Not on purpose. it just tried to abstract a soul thought of authour from a English literature.Just like you did TOFEL before.
                      • Did well overall
                        Except an author, an English Literature etc.
                        • That's why I didnot make a higher score in T or G like Mike or U you did. surel became a student loser for USA Schools.
                          • Never wrote GRE but my GMAT was not as good as you may imagine.
                      • no offense taken.. even though i have a high self esteem, i do have a rather "thick face skin" online.
                  • Got it!
          • 你的性格可能适合Toronto,如果你在扭腰时少许"奢恃"些,住得decent点,扭腰会更有吸引力。不管怎样,我是觉得Toronto缺少美国各大城市的vibe。尤其不喜欢加拿大的保守,排外的软环境。
            • 所以我说他是"典型的多伦多人".
              • Rather I would call myselg a kingstoner
        • "工资翻倍,职务升senior"可以是在精神上的对"自我价值"的一种追求。。。不一定非是物质上的追求。这种在精神上的追求如果可以在加拿大得到。。。为何一定要留在美国?
          • 无论是精神还是物质,加拿大跟美国是没有得比的. 讲精神复杂了点,讲房子吧:你美国房子看惯了,多伦多的房子就叫恶心了.七八十万的房子,家家相隔的就是中间的那个小巷子.
            加拿大的地皮一定比美国贱, 但加拿大那帮鸟人在议会立个什么鸟法就是不许房子之间的距离超过多少, 美国人把Canadian当成乡下人是没有错的. 很多生活中的细节都反映了加拿大人的莫名其妙(如果你愿意以美国为标准).
        • 离开又回来,这种情况很多。大的公司一般对于升职加薪要求按部就班。老板也会建议你跳槽或者找offer来Counteroffer。 中国有句老话,好马不吃回头草。但是,时过境迁,现在,来去自由是更高的境界。
          • 人家来回折腾说不准有自己的隐情, 你就别再往"境界"上拔了.
      • Welcome back~
    • 内容很朴实,可是标题起得不好,好象挺淳朴一小伙整一大爆炸头。"xx人在纽约"这么浮夸的标题, 只有深刻了解纽约的神韵和精华,又懂得如何表达的人才能handle. 大部分born new yorker都未必写的好,更别说那些纽约大西洋赌城四日游一类了。
      仔细又确认了一下,真的是老猫,喜欢你从youtube选的歌。可是这次真觉得你跟那些恨不得让每个人都知道自己年薪十万的人的距离一下拉近了。沾沾自喜不好。十万?也就付一下水电气吧。
      • "十万?也就付一下水电气吧".. You must be richer than Warren Buffett
        • 对,或者买点卫生纸什么的。是不是比涡轮更富,用金庸的小说,叫"虚巴答"。
          粤语"说不得"
          • indeed, really huge PP or bad diarrea . ha ha ha " 我的幸福你无法想象".
            HA HA HA, 大千世界 无其不有
      • 教育的对。我最近有点儿浮。
        • 态度这么好,我也给你上个折子:以后别耍英文好不好,毕竟你在跟中国人说事,用那个英文的必要性实在是看不出来.还害的一帮人用英文跟贴,好像都怕落个英文差的恶名似的. 一看都是中国人的英文,摧残人呐.
          • Blame BB, mine does not suppoert Chinese. Travelling
      • 标题改为 老猫飘过纽约所见的浮光掠影
        • 太罗嗦。《纽约猫光》。
        • 纽约州还是纽约市啊?再说,纽约市那么大,再具体些:老猫飘过纽约市曼哈顿区几个月内所见的浮光掠影
          • You guys make Mike crazy. It’s good that as a webmaster of Rolia he can easily modify his postings.
    • 可改成类似≪三毛流浪记≫的漫画,以一个叫米客的黑白花猫为主角
    • “All team members were two or three band levels higher than mine while I was asked to lead”,很多年前,我考GRE时,这句话是典型的改错题。
      • someone read it.... lol
    • 如果时空倒换,你可能不喜欢一个人待Toronto只奔NYC去了。几个月的经历不能说明纽约不如多伦多,也不能说明纽约一定不会是你的归宿。只是当时一只孤独的猫不适应独自在曼哈顿而已。
      • could be.. but even toronto, i never liked its down town area. and i never quite liked Beijing.. I always thought NYC and BJ were alike in terms of how busy they are
        • Consider relocating to Kingston -- since you constantly work from home -- this shouldn't be a problem. Do you have a dependency on Chinese food though? :-)
          • I was about to say that - Kingston is probably where I will end up with.. I do. But there are a few so so restaurant.. I am not too picky
            • 自己动手,苦练厨艺,为kingston做好准备,要不然,我去你在kingston 的家旁边开一中餐小吃店,哈哈,等着赚你的钱。。。
        • 以前在上海的那些年,每次在摩天大楼上往黄浦江望去,顿时壮怀激烈。时至如今那种心情已经很久没有了,也许不再会有了。一种积极的环境会激励人不断进取。反之,人将安于现状。但这没有对错,不同的人生而已。
    • Nicely written. Enjoyed reading it! I had totally different experience of New York. A city never sleeps. Remember the song "My little tow blues, they are melting away. I gonna make a brand new start of it"
      • 我那位同学也极喜欢纽约,至今独身.但生活多姿多彩.本人不喜欢都市生活,非纽约之过.多伦多也一样,太大太乱了.一个小村子更适合我
        • 当时没考虑搬到新泽西一边?比多伦多更乡下。
          • 考虑过,就是路上时间太长。